Fusing multi-sensor data to provide estimates of structures

• US 8,164,507 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Howe, Benjamin M., Otts, Daniel W., Smith, Winthrop W.
• Primary Examiner(s): GREGORY, BERNARR E
• Application Number:
  US12/427,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 342/21, 342/22, 342/27, 342/28, 342 52- 55, 342/59, 342/118, 342128-133, 342/175, 342192-197, 342 25 R- 25 F, 342/176, 342/179, 342/190, 342/191, 703/1, 703/2, 702/127, 702182-186, 702/189, 382/100, 382/141, 382/145, 382/149
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures

Abstract

In particular embodiments, analyzing data includes receiving sensor data generated in response to sensing one or more structures. The structural features of the sensor data are identified. Each structural feature is represented by one or more vectors. A score matrix that describes a plurality of distances among the vectors is generated. Vector pairs are formed from at least some of the vectors according to the distances of the score matrix. A layout of the structures is generated from the vector pairs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving sensor data generated in response to sensing one or more structures, the sensor data describing a plurality of structural features of the structures;

identifying the structural features of the sensor data;

representing each structural feature by one or more vectors to yield a plurality of vectors;

generating a scoring matrix that describes a plurality of distances among the vectors;

forming one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors according to the distances of the scoring matrix; and

generating a layout of the one or more structures from the vector pairs.

2. The method of claim 1, the identifying the structural features of the sensor data further comprising:

selecting a plurality of candidate structural features of the plurality of structural features according to one or more distances among the candidate structural features; and

clustering the candidate structural features to represent a structural feature.

3. The method of claim 1, the representing each structural feature by one or more vectors further comprising:

representing an n-hedral as a set of n vectors, n representing the number of sides of the n-hedral.

4. The method of claim 1, the representing each structural feature by one or more vectors further comprising:

representing a plate as a set of vectors comprising at least one wall opening vector and at least one wall closing vector.

5. The method of claim 1, the representing each structural feature by one or more vectors further comprising:

calculating an angular distance between vectors of a structural feature; and

fusing vectors with an angular distance that satisfies an angular distance threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, the representing each structural feature by one or more vectors further comprising:

determining that a wall opening vector of a first structural feature conflicts with a second structural feature; and

removing the wall opening vector.

7. The method of claim 1, the forming one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors further comprising:

selecting two vectors with origins that are within a specific distance from each other;

defining a plane that include the origins;

determining that the plane does not intersect an existing plane;

determining that the plane is substantially aligned with the two vectors; and

designating the two vectors as a vector pair.

8. The method of claim 1, the forming one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors further comprising:

selecting two vectors with origins that are within a specific distance from each other;

defining a plane that include the origins;

determining that the plane intersects an existing plane; and

determining that the two vectors are not a vector pair.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing logic configured to:

receive sensor data generated in response to sensing one or more structures, the sensor data describing a plurality of structural features of the structures;

identify the structural features of the sensor data;

represent each structural feature by one or more vectors to yield a plurality of vectors;

generate a scoring matrix that describes a plurality of distances among the vectors;

form one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors according to the distances of the scoring matrix; and

generate a layout of the one or more structures from the vector pairs.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the logic configured to identify the structural features of the sensor data by:

selecting a plurality of candidate structural features of the plurality of structural features according to one or more distances among the candidate structural features; and

clustering the candidate structural features to represent a structural feature.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the logic configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

representing an n-hedral as a set of n vectors, n representing the number of sides of the n-hedral.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the logic configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

representing a plate as a set of vectors comprising at least one wall opening vector and at least one wall closing vector.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the logic configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

calculating an angular distance between vectors of a structural feature; and

fusing vectors with an angular distance that satisfies an angular distance threshold.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the logic configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

determining that a wall opening vector of a first structural feature conflicts with a second structural feature; and

removing the wall opening vector.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the logic configured to form one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors by:

selecting two vectors with origins that are within a specific distance from each other;

defining a plane that include the origins;

determining that the plane does not intersect an existing plane;

determining that the plane is substantially aligned with the two vectors; and

designating the two vectors as a vector pair.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the logic configured to form one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors by:

selecting two vectors with origins that are within a specific distance from each other;

defining a plane that include the origins;

determining that the plane intersects an existing plane; and

determining that the two vectors are not a vector pair.

17. A apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to;

receive sensor data generated in response to sensing one or more structures, the sensor data describing a plurality of structural features of the structures; and

a processor coupled to the interface and configured to;

identify the structural features of the sensor data;

represent each structural feature by one or more vectors to yield a plurality of vectors;

generate a scoring matrix that describes a plurality of distances among the vectors;

form one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors according to the distances of the scoring matrix; and

generate a layout of the one or more structures from the vector pairs.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the processor configured to identify the structural features of the sensor data by:

selecting a plurality of candidate structural features of the plurality of structural features according to one or more distances among the candidate structural features; and

clustering the candidate structural features to represent a structural feature.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, the processor configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

representing an n-hedral as a set of n vectors, n representing the number of sides of the n-hedral.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, the processor configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

representing a plate as a set of vectors comprising at least one wall opening vector and at least one wall closing vector.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, the processor configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

calculating an angular distance between vectors of a structural feature; and

fusing vectors with an angular distance that satisfies an angular distance threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, the processor configured to represent each structural feature by one or more vectors by:

determining that a wall opening vector of a first structural feature conflicts with a second structural feature; and

removing the wall opening vector.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, the processor configured to form one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors by:

selecting two vectors with origins that are within a specific distance from each other;

defining a plane that include the origins;

determining that the plane does not intersect an existing plane;

determining that the plane is substantially aligned with the two vectors; and

designating the two vectors as a vector pair.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, the processor configured to form one or more vector pairs from at least some of the vectors by:

selecting two vectors with origins that are within a specific distance from each other;

defining a plane that include the origins;

determining that the plane intersects an existing plane; and

determining that the two vectors are not a vector pair.